Our Portfolios

As campus affairs representative for the sustainability portfolio, I worked on several projects and initiatives in order to make our beloved campus a little bit greener :) For most, I worked closely together with the greenteam while others are fully tied to CAR. Key achievements this year include: 

Compost bins 
An initiative that was started last year, which we revived and developed to a larger scale. Together with the greenteam we worked on a system for students to have access to compost bins for their unit. These can be picked up during office hours and rented for one academic year. We have a bin on campus where the bin can be emptied at any time! 

Oat milk coffee machine 
As you may have noticed already, an oat milk coffee machine in Voltaire delivers you your daily caffeine intake from now on! We found it particularly important for students with certain diets to have access to an affordable coffee during the break or study sessions just like the rest! This machine exclusively serves coffee with oat milk, the remaining machines in the other buildings still have cows milk as an option :) 

Sustainable shelf 
The sustainable shelf is more of a passion project of mine. Having it seen elsewhere, I always emphasized with the idea of a swap corner for students. While we have the end of year sale etc, I found campus was lacking a permanent spot for exchanging items (and thus reducing waste). Located in the drama room hallway in dining hall and open during CAR office hours, students can both drop off and take items like clothes, books or decor. Feel free to check it out! 

Paper free rental contracts 
In previous years all of CAR‘s contracts for food boxes, mouse traps etc were all signed on paper. While this not only creates a bit of chaos it also wastes plenty of paper. We wanted to change that, so we installed a system of online contracts :) 

As Campus Affairs Representative for Housing, I worked to make student living on campus more comfortable, accessible and fairly managed. Key achievements this year include:

Food Security

•⁠  ⁠Facilitated access to 30 additional fridges, directly supporting approximately 345 students.
•⁠  ⁠Expanded the food box inventory, with 130 food boxes rented out to students in need.

Rental System
•⁠  ⁠Introduced a deposit fine system for rentals not returned on time or in poor condition, protecting shared resources for all students.

Tenant Transparency and Wellbeing
•⁠  ⁠Launched a Campus Complaint Form as a structured channel for students to raise housing concerns formally.
•⁠  ⁠Working to publish campus fees, contract details, and housing-related finances on our website, so students have a clear overview of exactly what they are paying for.

Unity Day
•⁠  We hosted Unity Day for the first time, which is an event for units on campus to compete against each other for
1. A €75,- IKEA giftcard,
2. A rice cooker and vegetable steamer,
3. A toastie maker and for the other participants a supermarket gift card to provide them with a unit dinner.

This event is originally a UCSA event, but after discussing with the '25-'26 UCSA chair, Jochem Trok, we have decided for CAR to fully take this over. Our first edition went really well and we are very excited to keep this event going!

Mice
•⁠  ⁠Coordinated the rental of 52 non-kill traps and 50 kill traps, which is a major milestone in tackling the mouse problem across campus housing.
•⁠  ⁠Created a clearer system for students to report holes in walls to Lekstede, reducing mouse entry points more efficiently.

Upcoming Initiatives
•⁠  ⁠Off-campus housing information session (April 8th).
•⁠  ⁠Storage room guide publication (May).
•⁠  ⁠Ongoing pursuit of refunds for students affected by double room billing issues.

With the Catering portfolio, I collaborate closely with Eurest to enhance the campus dining experience. This involves meeting with their representatives to share student feedback on food options, pricing, and events. While CAR is not part of Eurest, we serve as advocates for students by ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are represented.

• My biggest achievement in this portfolio is the Oat Milk Coffee Machine that you can find in the Voltaire Lounge Area.

As there are many different actors regarding Wellbeing on campus, a wellbeing platform has been established. My work for this portfolio is mainly done through this platform (which includes representatives from CAR, UCSA, UCSC, Peer Support, and the Wellbeing Team). Together, we plan initiatives like community dinners and discuss students' needs on campus and how we can accommodate those needs. This year, I also organized a Christmas get-together during the winter break with snacks and games (from GameCo). For the future, I am collaborating with Peer Support to create food packages during exam seasons so it is easier for students to take care of their bodies, especially in such busy periods. 

As CAR is the youngest student board at UCU, we still have a long way to go to reach our full potential. I work to expand CAR’s visibility and impact by fostering relationships with new organizations, coordinating promotional events, and engaging in meaningful public relations efforts. This portfolio is all about growing CAR’s influence and ensuring students are aware of the resources and opportunities we provide. This entails:

• Increasing the budget. The last board managed to go from €400 to €800, which helped a lot, but was not nearly enough for the things we could have done to help on campus. If you divide by the student body, it only leaves €1.05 per student. We are in contact with Sjoerd and will update you as soon as we know an official final response about the CAR budget 2026/27.
• As we don't get an extra semester and a course reduction, we are right now working on getting ECTs' points to be able to dedicate more time and love to our board work, without having to sacrifice our studies or social life.

• Another important point for this portfolio is the magazine that I have created and the upcoming ones. Since the first one is on bursting the bubble, was so well received, I decided to make the next one on Wellbeing. Approaching it more from a student perspective.  
• Last, but not least, the increased presence on multiple social media platforms has significantly helped us to establish our own place on campus and with students, understanding better when and why we do what. 

As Campus Affairs Representative for Security & Facilities, I focused on making  our campus a safer and more informed environment for students. Key achievements this year include:

Campus Security Awareness

• Increased PR around security on campus, raising student awareness of available resources and protocols.
• Collaborated with UCSA and UCSC on a joint Social Safety Campaign, bringing together multiple student bodies to tackle safety concerns at a broader level (such as changing the closing time of the big gate).

Student Opportunities

• Advocated for job opportunities at DH Café for students; while it didn't land this year, the effort paid off with an agreement secured for next year.

Although this portfolio is shorter than others, the work behind it involved meaningful cross-organizational collaboration and laying the groundwork for initiatives that will benefit students in the coming academic year.

This portfolio is similar to the Establishing Car one, but focuses solely on external/off-campus events and work. 

• CAR x PPE Fleemarket with great food (waffles, tosties, and drinks), music, and games. We are proud of the 54€ that we were able to donate to Doctors Without Borders in Palestine!
• CAR x PPE Spring Fest. 11.03.2026 at Club Maggys, with all profit going to the Initiative Roots. This will be the perfect opportunity to meet new people and connect with other university students, and have a great time!
• The first magazine that I created was also on the theme of Bursting the Bubble!

As part of the Housing portfolio I am part of a dedicated Space & Place working group to address one of the most significant decisions facing our campus community: the potential sale of the Dining Hall and the future of student spaces at UCU. 

Working Group: Space&Place

To navigate this complex issue, key stakeholders from across the university and student community have been brought together, including: 

• Sjoerd Bosgra — Managing Director | [email protected]
• Maarten Diederix — House Master | [email protected]
• UCU Staff — Variety of Staff
• Claudia Gallardo — BarCo HR Manager | [email protected]
• Jochem Trok — UCSA Chair | [email protected]
• Felicitas Schliese — UCSC Student Assessor | [email protected]
• Sara Falcony Palacio — CAR Chair (me) | [email protected] 

Objectives 

• Ensure student voices are heard in decisions regarding the Dining Hall and shared campus spaces.
• Facilitate transparent communication between Management and the student body.
• Explore sustainable, student-friendly outcomes for the future use of the space.

This working group reflects a commitment to collaborative governance — making sure that decisions shaping daily campus life are not made without the people who live it.